Young Men & Misogyny – Insights from Leeds Women’s Aid

This post is written by Hannah Whyte, Communications & Marketing Manager, Leeds Women’s Aid

This year, we saw Adolescence bring conversations about young boys’ attitudes towards girls and the dangers of social media into living rooms across the UK, starting a crucial national dialogue. Shockwaves from the series reached as far as parliament, with Sir Keir Starmer even calling for it to be shown in all secondary schools.

The strong public reaction to the Emmy winning programme mirrors a worrying reality. Recent research from Amnesty International found an overwhelming 73% of Gen Z social media users have witnessed misogynistic content online and half of respondents encounter such content on a weekly basis. The so called ‘manosphere’ has made Andrew Tate one of the most viewed and talked about people in the world, leaving parents and teachers at a loss with how to broach the subject.

The constant pressure and toxic messages targeted at boys to assert their masculinity can lead to them feeling that they need to enact these behaviours to be seen as a ‘real man’. Unsurprisingly, these attitudes spill over into school corridors. According to the Department for Education, more than half of pupils aged 11-19 said they had heard comments they would describe as misogynistic within a given week, while more than a third had heard comments that made them concerned about the safety of girls.

At Leeds Women’s Aid, we see first-hand how unhealthy attitudes towards women and girls can escalate, ultimately resulting in intimate partner violence and domestic abuse. Our ELEVATE programme aims to stop the cycle of abuse by working one-on-one with children and young people, in schools and other safe spaces, who have experienced or witnessed abuse at home. The sessions help them work through their emotions, process trauma, learn about healthy relationships and develop coping mechanisms.

Though ELEVATE provides a vital intervention for these children, it is important that all young people receive appropriate education on sex, relationships, and respect from trained professionals, within a wider context of misogyny and violence against women and girls. A teacher pressing play on Adolescence in a classroom is simply not enough, as they may be unequipped to unpack the questions and themes arising from the programme.

We need to ask the question: has the rise of negative online influencers filled the gap left by the lack of appropriate positive male role models in society? Young people need ‘third spaces’ – safe, offline environments away from school, home (and their phones) where they can build real connections and be around positive, everyday male role models, like sports coaches or youth leaders. These community figures can make a huge difference by encouraging healthy attitudes and modelling them through their own actions, yet the ‘always-online generation’ is thought to have less access to them.

The why do we need to talk about domestic abuse? panel event on the 16th October will touch on these topical issues and open further conversation around what society can do to put an end to misogyny amongst young men.

Leeds Domestic Violence Service (LDVS) is here to support anyone over the age of 16 in Leeds affected by domestic violence and abuse. Our services include a 24hr helpline, emergency accommodation, legal advocacy, drop-ins, community outreach and support groups.

https://ldvs.uk/  24hr Helpline Number: 0113 246 0401